


On the Other Side of the Glass

by the_technicolor_whiscash



Series: Smoke and Mirrors [2]
Category: Mystery Science Theater 3000
Genre: F/M, Mirrorverse, dr Forrester is such a DAD, sequel to Smoke and Mirrors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-12-21 21:17:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11952804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_technicolor_whiscash/pseuds/the_technicolor_whiscash
Summary: Kinga finds herself caught in an unpleasant situation when evil Jonah suddenly returns to her universe while they're in the backjack. But what happens after, she never expected.





	On the Other Side of the Glass

**Author's Note:**

> HOOOOOO

Kinga watched as Jonah blinked. His expression changed, from something hopeful to something dark. It seemed like he was almost… a different person. 

“What’s happening? Where are we?” Jonah said. His voice sounded angry. 

“Jonah? Are-are you alright?” 

Oh. Oh no. This couldn't be happening. Not here. Not now. 

“Damnit! I can't be back in this universe.” Jonah muttered. 

“You're our Jonah? The evil one?” Kinga said hesitantly. 

“Yes, of course I am. Your alter-egos didn't want to work with me, so they sent me back. What are we doing? Where are we?”

Kinga balled up her fists. “We’re going back to earth, and there’s nothing you can do to stop us.”

“Yeah! You tell him, Kinga!” Max yelled from the driver’s seat. 

Jonah looked up at Kinga with soulful puppy-dog eyes. “I don't suppose there’s any chance you would want to turn this thing around and bring us back to the moon?”

Kinga felt an odd feeling in her chest. His eyes really were cute. But she couldn't let that sway her. “Not in hell, buddy.”

Jonah sighed, defeated. “Alright. Fine. Be that way.”

Kinga nodded, content with her victory. She returned to the copilot’s seat, checking meters and toggling switches. Eventually, though, she realized that she heard Jonah and the Bots whispering behind them. Which was not a good sign. 

“Care to share what you're whispering about?” Kinga said over her shoulder. 

“We were just talking about the latest hockey scores.” Tom Servo said. This was definitely their universe’s Tom. He was always weirdly into hockey. 

“Yeah. Right. Spill.”

Jonah scoffed. “Like I'd tell you.” 

“I hate you.” Kinga whispered. But inside, she was hurt. The Jonah she had met from the other universe was so… sweet. She had only known him for a little bit, but in that time, she had grown to appreciate him. Mainly because he wasn't a dick. But she knew he was a kind soul when he agreed to help them get back to earth. And now she had to deal with the old Jonah. The evil Jonah. The dickbag Jonah. 

As they got closer to earth, Kinga realized something was off. No one was whispering anymore, but there was the distinct sound of feet shuffling. Suddenly, Kinga jumped as an arm flew in front of her, grasping the controls. 

“What the hell do you think you're doing?” Kinga yelled. She still gripped the control wheel, unwavering as Jonah tried to jerk them back towards the moon. 

“I’m highjacking this backjack!” He yelled, trying to push Kinga to the side with his shoulder. 

Kinga knew she had to act fast. She gripped one of Jonah’s arms, twisting and throwing as hard as she could, sending Jonah flying to the ground. She jumped out of her chair, pushed him onto his stomach, and placed a foot on his back. “Don't move.”

“Ow. Damnit.” Jonah muttered. “You’re good.”

“Thank you. I know I am. I took judo classes before you kidnapped me and stuck me on that damn Satellite.” Kinga took a deep breath, regaining her bearings. “Listen, asshole, you try something like that again, I’m throwing you off of this backjack.” She looked towards the Bots, who were cowering together in the corner. “That goes for you all too.”

Crow nodded. “Yep. We got ya. We would never do something like that.”

“Good.” 

Max cleared his throat. “Kinga, I’m gonna need your help to land this thing.” 

“Right.” She leaned down to Jonah. “I see you make any sudden movements, I will hurt you.”

Jonah sighed. “Yeah, yeah. I get the point.”

Kinga settled back into her copilot’s seat and pushed the backjack in a descent towards earth. They were landing on a Gizmonic landing pad, one that she had known quite well from her time as a backjack operator. Gently, she settled the backjack upon the big green Gizmonic G, landing it with the usual jolt. Once she was certain it had been landed properly, she powered down the engines and opened the door. 

“Can I get up now?” Jonah whined from the floor. 

“Give me a minute.” Kinga took a deep breath. 

Slowly, she stepped out of the backjack, her feet touching the ground. Yes, the real, actual ground of earth. The real gravity. The real air. She breathed again. 

Max exited the backjack and stood beside her. “Wow. Feels good to be home.” 

Kinga nodded. She felt her eyes begin to mist, and she quickly wiped them away. “It is. It really is.” 

“Yeah, it's earth. Hoorah.” Jonah said from behind them. “Can I leave now?”

Kinga turned around and walked up to him so that she was only a few inches away from his face. “Listen here, Jonah Heston. You made my life a living hell for more than a year. You were a dick, an asshole, and every other word you could possibly come up with to describe someone evil. You’re certainly not going to ruin this for me, and you're not going to ruin the lives of anyone else.”

Jonah held his hands in the air. “I get it. Really, I do. Besides, we’re on earth now. Not much I can really do to stop you now.”

“You're damn right there's not. If I ever see you again, I’m slugging you across your face.” 

Your unfortunately adorable face, she thought to herself. Wait, what? She couldn't afford to think like this. This man caused her life to turn to shit. Then, something occurred to her. Maybe she was into the nice Jonah, the Jonah from the other universe. The one that didn't trap her in a satellite. The one that had the cute personality to match the face. 

“Fine with me.” Jonah replied. 

Kinga nodded and walked back over to Max. “Well. Now we’ve got that settled, Where to first?”

Max smiled. “Dads’ House.”

\----------------------

Kinga and Max’s reunion with their fathers was teary on all sides. Even their Grandma Pearl had managed to visit and welcome their return, alongside Bobo and Brain Guy, who were basically family. But even though she was beyond happy to be reunited with her family, Kinga still felt an emptiness inside. She was sad, and she couldn't quite tell why. She supposed it was just the shock of suddenly being on earth. 

A few days later, it was some ungodly hour of the night, and Kinga found that she couldn't sleep, so she went to the living room and flicked through tv channels. Nothing good was on at such an hour, so she went onto Amazon Instant Video. But then she saw it. Mystery Science Theater 3001. The show that she was forced to be on. The show where Jonah forced her and Max to watch bad movies. The show which premiered on Amazon more than a decade after her fathers had been through the same ordeal. 

She heard a noise from behind her, and noticed Dr F standing at the bottom of the stairs. He looked concerned. “Honey? It's almost two am, what are you still doing up?”

“Hey Dad. I just couldn't sleep.” 

“Still thinking about your time on the Satellite?”

“I suppose.”

Dr F sat beside her and put her arm around her. “I understand. If you ever need anyone to talk to, your Pop and I are here for you.”

“Thanks, Dad.” She paused. “Hey, do you know what it means when you feel like your stomach begins to knot up, and you can't sleep, and you feel empty inside?” 

Dr F chuckled, his mustache bristling cheerily. “Well, Kinga, let's just say I feel that towards your father.”

“Oh no. Don't tell me it's that.” 

“It’s either that, or a gastrointestinal disease.”

“I don't know which I'd rather have.”

“Trust me. You want the first one.”

“What if I feel the first one towards someone extremely far out of reach, to the point where it’s totally unreasonable for me to be feeling it towards them?”

“Then you cross your fingers and hope it goes away.”

“What if it doesn't?”

“Then you either find the person and kiss the hell out of them, or you live in anguish for the rest of your life.”

Kinga rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Dad.”

He patted her on the head affectionately. “Anytime, honey.”

\------------------

Three days later. Kinga found herself alone at home, while the rest of her family went off shopping. She just couldn't go with them. She needed time to think, time for herself. Time to focus on controlling her emotions. 

But the more she thought about it, the more she couldn't get it out of her head. She was, unfortunately, in love with the man who she had threatened to kill. Well, she fell in love with him when he was replaced by the one from a different universe. But that complicated things more than she wanted them to be complicated. The point still stood. She was in love with Jonah Heston, and there was nothing she could do about it. 

Outside, the sky turned dark, and Kinga knew it was going to rain. She liked rain. The calming sounds, the change in atmospheric pressure… it made life peaceful, somehow. She closed her eyes, letting the gentle drumming wash over her. She sat that way for a good amount of time, simply enjoying life in the moment. 

Her thoughts were shattered when she heard a knock on the door. Who the hell would be visiting in this kind of rain? Begrudgingly, she got off the couch and walked to the door. Opening it, she was greeted by the man who she said she never wanted to see again. The man who she was in love with. 

“Jonah?” Kinga exclaimed. She balled up her fist, ready to punch him. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I’m sorry, I wouldn't have come if I had had any other option.” His hair was drenched, and his lab coat was covered in dirt. He held his hands up. “Punch me if you want, but I really need your help.”

Did she really want to punch him? At this point, she didn't. The man was soaked to the bone, and looked like he legitimately needed help. Plus, those eyes. 

“Alright. Fine. Come inside.” She said, motioning for him to enter. 

“Thank you. Like I said, I wouldn't have come if I had any other options.” He then proceeded to sneeze loudly several times. 

“Jeez, what happened to you? Let me get you a towel, and then I want you to tell me everything.”

She ran to the hall closet and pulled out the biggest, fluffiest towel she could find. It was bright pink, and she threw it at him, hitting him square in the face. But instead of complaining, he simply put the towel around his shoulders and shivered. 

“Come on, the kitchen’s probably the warmest room in the house.” She said, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him through the house. She couldn't let him know she felt anything more than hatred towards him. The man destroyed her life. He didn't deserve the feelings she felt for him. 

He sat down in one of the kitchen chairs and sneezed again. “I've been out in the rain for a while. But I don't have a car or anything. Or a house. I basically lived up on the moon.” 

Kinga frowned. “Have you seriously been living outside since we got to earth?”

“No, no. I had a hotel I was staying in. But there's some people after me. Some people I pissed off in the past. They want me dead.” He sneezed again. “I had nowhere else to go.”

“What kind of people are we talking? Loan sharks? Drug lords?”

“Think disgraced mad scientists. I was at the top of the pack when it came to mad science. I was a genius. And other people didn't like that I was disproving their life’s work. That's part of why I moved to the moon. So I could continue my work without a target on my back.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Hide me. Just for a bit. I’m not asking for you to be nice to me. I just need somewhere to stay until this all blows over.” 

“So let me get this straight. You want me, to hide you, here, in my house, where I live, with my two dads and my brother, for however long it takes for this to blow over.”

“It sounds worse when you put it like that, but basically.” 

She was about to say no. She should have said no. But what came out of her mouth was not no. “Alright, fine. You can live in the attic.”

A wave of relief washed over Jonah. “Thank you. Thank you so much. Just, uh, don't let anyone else know that I'm here, if you don't mind.”

“Fine, but I'm not responsible if one of my dads stumbles upon you while looking for old documents.”

“Of course.” He broke into a sneezing fit again. 

“On second thought, maybe you should stay in the guest bedroom in the basement. It's warmer.”

“Whatever you think is best.”

“I’ll go get you some of my brother’s spare clothes. They should fit you well enough, and at least they're dry.”

“Thank you.” 

At that moment, his voice sounded more sincere than she had ever heard it. 

Perhaps he wasn't truly evil. Perhaps, deep within, he had some spark of goodness. Perhaps this could work out for the best. 

\------------------

“Jonah, it’s been a week.” Kinga said, as she burst into the guest bedroom. “How much longer do you think you’ll have to wait for these people to get off your back?”

Jonah was sitting on the bed, watching late-night reruns of this comedy from the 90’s. Wings, was it? “I’m not sure. I don't really know the average time for people to stop wanting to kill someone.”

“Why don't you just change your name, move to another country, and start over? I've heard that Spain is quite nice this time of year.” 

“Kinga, you know I can't move to Spain. I’m banned from entering the country. If I go there, they'll recognize me in the airport and immediately arrest me for grand theft.”

“Did you actually steal anything?”

“No! I’m a mad scientist, not a thief. And besides, to change your name legally requires a birth certificate. I don't know where mine is.”

Kinga rolled her eyes. “For god’s sake!”

“Now, tell me, why? Why do you want me out? Have I been anything other than a perfect guest?”

“No, on the contrary, you've been an excellent guest.” 

“Then why? Do you just hate me? Is that it? Because if so, I’m sorry for locking you and your brother up in that Satellite. It was a mistake, ok? I see that now.”

She could never truly hate him. Even through all of the irritation he had put them through from watching those movies, she never could bring herself to hate him. Not now. 

“No. No, that's not it at all. It's just getting harder and harder not to let anyone know that I'm keeping a man in my basement!” 

Suddenly, a knock on the door. And who would it be, but Dr F. 

“Kinga? Honey, why are you keeping a person in our basement?” He asked nonchalantly. 

“I-We-He-Uh…” Kinga stuttered. “It’s his fault!”

“Listen, is it really my fault that people want me dead?” Jonah said. 

Kinga took a breath and regained her bearings. “Dad, this is Jonah, I’m hiding him down here so that nobody kills him.”

Dr F frowned. “Why are people trying to kill him? Wait a second. Jonah. Why do I recognize that name?”

Kinga sighed. “Because he was the man who trapped me on the Satellite, Dad.”

“Really? You wouldn't just kick him out and leave him for dead?”

“No, dad. Like they say, kill em with kindness.”

Dr F looked skeptical. He knew there was something else going on in Kinga’s head. “Alright then, if that's what you're doing, fine. Frankly I don't care that you're keeping someone in the basement, as long as you clean up after them.” 

“You know I will, Dad.” 

“Good girl. And Jonah?”

Jonah lifted an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“Don't be an asshole.”

Kinga could see a spark of fear cross Jonah’s face. “Uh, yeah, I’ll try not to.” 

“Good. Well, Goodnight everyone.” 

“Goodnight, Dad.” Her voice broke into a whisper. “Please don't tell Pop about this.” 

“My lips are sealed.” 

\---------------------

Kinga found herself in a predicament. Jonah had been living in her basement for two weeks now, and she couldn't keep him there forever. But she also couldn't very well throw him out. They would have to come to some kind of a compromise. 

“Jonah?” Kinga said, walking into the room. “Jonah, I need to talk to you.” 

She realized that the bed was empty. He had the courtesy, at least, to make the bed, Kinga noticed, and he left a note on the pillow. 

‘Dear Kinga,

‘I think two weeks is enough time to shed the people on my back. If it isn't, well, look for my face in the obituaries. 

‘I’m going to try to head back to the moon. Perhaps I can find another test subject and continue my experiment with them. Or maybe not. Maybe I should just do experiments that don't involve humans. It sounds like less trouble. 

‘I doubt I will see you again, which does make me a little sad. But you probably still hate me, for trapping you in a satellite and living in your basement. I really am sorry about that. It was stupid of me. 

‘Have a good life, or something. 

‘Jonah Heston, esquire.’

Kinga frowned. She was pretty sure he wasn't an esquire. But that wasn't the point. The point was that Jonah was gone… and the empty feeling had returned to her stomach. 

Truth be told, she had grown used to him being there. She would bring him down food and water, and they would chat about whatever may be on their minds. He was surprisingly personable, that one. And she didn't really want him to leave. It was nice to have someone other than her family to talk to, to get to know. And he seemed to like being around her too, though he may deny it. 

Did she really want him to go? 

No. 

Because as she had gotten to know him, she realized why she had fallen for him. The good in him. The side of him that was kind, and sweet, and gentle. The side of him that liked to watch old movies and eat popcorn. 

So she realized that she had to find him. 

She dashed up the stairs and out the door, before she then noticed that she had no plan and no idea where he would be. But instead of planning anything, she started off down the street, in a direction she hoped that he went. 

As she walked, the sky began to turn grey as clouds made their way across it. It was going to rain again. She had to find Jonah, and fast. Where would she go, if she was trying to leave? 

Her mind settled on the one spot she would go. It was a Gizmonic Institute bus stop, where young Gizmonic employees would wait for the bus to take them to work. It was small, semi-hidden, and one could easily blend in amongst the grad students. 

As she approached the bus stop, it started to rain. First a light drizzle, increasing in intensity until it became a downpour. But Kinga barely noticed it, determined to make her way to that damn bus stop to find the damn idiot who she was in love with. And, of course, he was there. He must've gotten there before the rain picked up, because he was still dry. 

“I found you. Thank god.” Kinga said, while attempting to wipe the water from her face. 

“Kinga? What are you doing here?” He asked, standing up to face her. 

“You… You left and you didn't even say goodbye. Do you really think I hate you that much?”

“Honestly? I don't know what you think of me. Even after all this time, you’re still a mystery to me.”

“I don't hate you, Jonah. I used to, but not anymore. Not now that I've gotten to know you. The real you. Not that bullshit evil scientist facade.” 

He blushed slightly. “Yeah, I guess I was never very good at that. But it was all I had ever known.” He paused. “Why did you come after me? You could have just let me leave, and went on with your life.”

“I know. I could have. But I didn't like the thought of never seeing you again. I would miss you.”

“I… I would miss you too. I like you, Kinga. A lot. Probably too much for my own good.” 

Was this really happening? Kinga felt her heart rate pick up, suddenly realizing just how close she was standing to him. She was still soaked to the bone from the rain, but she felt warm inside. 

Kinga suddenly remembered how to breathe. “I like you a lot too. You're sweet. Sure, you’re a bit of a fixer-upper, but-!”

She was cut off by him putting his lips to hers, stealing her breath with an abrupt yet tender kiss. A kiss that ended far too quickly, in her opinion. After not too long, Jonah pulled away, running an awkward hand through his hair and brushing profusely. 

“I… sorry.” He stuttered. “I don't… I just…”

She put a finger to his lips, quieting him. “Shh. Don't apologize. Just kiss me again.”

**Author's Note:**

> I actually really liked writing Kinga from her perspective like it was pretty fun  
> This somehow ended up so much longer than the original story and I have no idea how


End file.
